UNTETHERED: Missing Scenes 3
by Patcat
Summary: Wild speculation


More wild speculations. I haven't given up on SAVING GRACES or GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. I just have to feed the plot bunnies

Dressed in his best suit, his hair neatly cut and his beard newly shaved, he sat in a corner of the coffee shop and examined the depths of his cup. "All right," he thought. "All I want out of this is to protect Alex…then Ross…then…if I can…hold on to the job…I'll take whatever…"

He became aware of a figure standing at his table. He looked up at Captain Danny Ross, and Bobby quickly stood.

"Captain," he said. "Thank you for coming. Do you…Oh…You've already got coffee…"

"Sit down, Detective," Ross said wearily but not without sympathy.

Bobby sat heavily. "Thank you for meeting me, Sir," he said softly.

Ross realized that for the first time Goren had addressed him as "Sir," and felt a strange feeling of triumph. He studied the detective closely. Goren had left the hospital over the objections of the doctors and was about to appear at a disciplinary hearing without a lawyer or union representative. He also knew that Goren had insisted on having the hearing as soon as possible.

"Are you sure about this, Goren?" Ross asked as he sat. "You should have someone…"

"I'm fine," Bobby said quickly. "All I can do is tell the truth." His hands clutched his coffee cup tightly. "The only things I regret…Are that you and Eames got caught in this…Well…not knowing where Donny is…" He swallowed. "At least Eames knew what was going one…She told me if I didn't let her help me she'd tell you…"

Ross smiled in spite of his anger at both detectives. "Yea…I can imagine Eames doing that…She's been very clear to me that she went into this with her eyes open." He took a long drink of coffee. "Her only regret is that you got hurt so badly."

"She…she told me that she got a reprimand…A mark in her jacket…but not a suspension," Bobby said with relief.

"Yes." Ross observed that Goren was far more concerned with Eames' situation than his own. "I need to ask you, Goren…Would you have done this if I hadn't made you take the time?"

Bobby considered the question for a moment. "Yes, Sir," he said. "I…I was trying to think of a way to help Donny from the moment I knew he was in trouble. This…It was the only thing I could think of…Any other way…It'd take too long or bring too much attention to him…"

"You don't know this kid," Ross said in exasperation. "Are you sure he's your nephew?"

"I haven't had a DNA test run," Bobby said with the first sign of anger Ross had seen in him since the detective had been in the prison. "But even if he weren't my nephew…People…not just prisoners or things…people were being tortured and killed in that prison…Some of them shouldn't have even been there…" His anger eased as he spoke. "I believe he's my nephew…My brother told me…He…He looks like me…" Bobby rubbed the back of his neck and plunged forward. "He's…the last person in my family…My parents are gone…My brother's lost…My nephew is my last connection…If it was one of your sons…" Bobby jerked and raised a fist to his mouth. "I…I'm sorry, Sir…I had no right…no right at all…"

"It's all right, Goren," Ross said softly. Goren's actions were often inexplicable, but Ross understood this explanation. The captain looked at his watch. "It's nearly time…"

"You should go ahead," Bobby said. "Being seen with me can't help your cause much."

"You're one of my detectives," Ross said evenly. "One of the best…I have no problem being seen with you."

Bobby stared at his feet. "Thank you."

"There is one thing I need to know, Goren," Ross said.

Bobby glanced at him. "Yes?"

"Was this some kind of test? Did you deliberately take yourself to the edge?"

Bobby never considered not answering or lying. Ross deserved more than that. "I…I don't think so," he said slowly. "I…I had some idea of what could happen…No one would deliberately do that if there was another way."

Ross hesitated, but he felt he had to ask another question. "Was it as bad as you expected?"

Bobby stared out the window for several moments, and Ross thought he might not answer.

"No," he finally said in a tight, low voice. "It was worse…much worse…" He didn't look at Ross. "We…we really need to go, Captain."

They walked wordlessly to One Police Plaza and entered the elevator. Ross noted that they received many curious and surprised looks, with about half of those supportive and half hostile.

"Probably depends on what Goren has just done for the individual," Ross thought wryly.

The most surprised look came from the Chief of Detectives. The other Captain at the hearing didn't appear nearly as surprised, and Ross recalled that he'd headed Narcotics at the same time Goren engineered several spectacularly successful operations.

The hearing was blessedly brief. The Chief outlined the charges against Goren, and Ross thought that the older man did a good job of hiding his anger at the detective. Goren calmly responded to the charges, not even showing outrage when the Chief questioned his sanity, and sat quietly at attention as the Chief pronounced punishment. The detective left without a word and carefully avoided looking at the other men as he walked out the door.

"I wonder if he'll come back," the other Captain mused.

"I'm not sure the Department wants him back," the Chief said sharply.

Anger flared in Ross. "The Department was glad to have him when he broke the Amberleigh case…when he got it all that great publicity when he got the Brady confession…"

The Chief looked at Ross with surprise and anger. "Be careful, Danny…Don't presume that our friendship…"

"I'm not presuming anything," Ross said, tying to control his anger. "I'm not defending what Goren did…But we're supposed to take care of our own…If Goren felt he was part of this Department, he might not have felt he had to take this action…He might have felt he could've depended on us to help protect his nephew…And I think we need to weigh what he's done for this Department and city against any of his indiscretions…"

"He's a loose cannon…A…" the Chief began.

"A "whack job"?" Ross asked angrily. "He didn't abandon his partner for a quickee with his girlfriend…."

The two men glared at each other.

"You should consider, Chief," the other Captain said in a tone that indicated he sought to make some peace. "That a lot of people in the Department owe Goren a lot….They might want him back very much. Even with this shadow, other departments and agencies want him. He's been headhunted a lot…And if he goes permanently…We'll definitely lose his partner…And maybe a lot more good detectives…"

"What are you saying?" the Chief asked in a low, strained voice. He appeared to have forgotten Ross' presence. "That I'll have a rebellion on my hands?"

Ross thought he was watching a long, ongoing argument continue in front of him.

"There are a lot of divisions in the Department," the other Captain said calmly. "And you know the Department is having a rough time retaining good officers…and when you weigh everything, Goren is a good cop. I think these are things you need to consider."

The Chief shook his head. "I don't understand it," he said, more in bewilderment than anger. "What is it about Goren? He's got this reputation…And all these cops…Good cops that I think are sane…You…" The Chief gestured towards the other Captain. "Eames…the guys he worked with in Narcotics…Jimmy Deakins…the M.E.'s office…You, Danny…People who know how the system works…Everyone complains about him…and then they defend him…"

"Maybe it's because we get to know him," Ross answered quietly. "Maybe it's because we look beyond his reputation. I'd look carefully at the people who call Goren a "whack job" and the ones who respect him." He started to leave, but hesitated at the door. "All I can tell you is that he makes the Department better. He may have made me better. If you gave him a chance, he might make you better." He walked out the door without waiting for the Chief's response.

END


End file.
